The “really poor decision” that denied Stina Blackstenius of Arsenal a goal against Chelsea | OneFootball

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Arsenal’s Swedish striker #25 Stina Blackstenius (2L) celebrates with Arsenal’s English striker #23 Alessia Russo (C) after scoring the opening goal during the English Women’s League Cup final football match between Arsenal and Chelsea at Molineux in Wolverhampton, central England on March 31, 2024. (Photo by Adrian DENNIS / AFP) (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Stina Blackstenius was denied an equaliser for Arsenal against Chelsea by a controversial decision from referee Melissa Burgin.

Burgin disallowed the goal from the Sweden international for handball in the 54th minute – but Sky Sports co-commentator Courtney Sweetman-Kirk thought it was the wrong decision.

“Is there a Blackstenius handball in there just before the shot?” she mused.

“There’s a lot of frustration, both the players and the staff, and maybe that injection of energy – good and bad – is what this game needs a little bit in this second half.”

She added: “It’s a poor header, first and foremost, from [defender] Niamh Charles [who cleared it only as far as Blackstenius].

“Is it the action of the arm going back? I don’t actually think it potentially hits the arm. It’s the midriff. The fact that Blackstenius’s arm goes back as the ball comes in – that’s what the referee gets caught by.

“But it’s a really, really poor decision by the look of it.”

Chelsea would likely argue, though, that the corner that led to Blackstenius’s disallowed goal was also an incorrect decision, with the ball apparently coming off Caitlin Foord, not Lucy Bronze.

Arsenal v Chelsea: team news

Chelsea went 1-0 up in the Women’s Super League game at Stamford Bridge after nine minutes, courtesy of Alyssa Thompson.

Both sides had made several changes to their starting line-up, with Steph Catley donning the Arsenal armband in place of the absent Kim Little.

Victoria Pelova replaced Little in the midfield, with Lotte Wubben-Moy and Emily Fox coming into the backline.

Chelsea were without Aggie Beever-Jones, who has a dead leg, but brought in  Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, Wieke Kaptein, Catarina Macario, Thompson and Niamh Charles from the start.